“Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”
Micah 7:8b
Uganda – Around 40 Christian Children Massacred in Islamist Attack on School
Christians in Uganda are mourning the loss of 42 people, almost all school students in their teens, killed in a vicious Islamist attack on a boarding school.
The students were singing hymns just before the attackers from jihadi group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), based in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), launched their assault after 10pm on June 16.
The school in Mpondwe, Kasese District, on the DRC border, has just over 60 students, most of whom live there. Victims were either shot, hacked to death with machetes, or burned to death in their dormitories. Eight people were critically injured. Six students were abducted and forced to carry food that the Islamists stole from the school.
Cry out to the Lord for the bereaved and traumatized, asking for the Lord’s comfort following this evil act (Psalm 147:3). Pray also for the recovery of the injured and the safe return of those abducted. Ask that the Lord will bring peace to this troubled region of Africa.
North Korea – Five Christians Arrested After Raid on Secret Church Service
Fervent prayer is needed for five North Korean Christians arrested as they attended a secret church service in a farmhouse at 5am on Sunday, April 30. The Christians had been meeting each week at the farmhouse in the village of Tongam, South Pyongan province. “At the site of the worship service, the police retrieved dozens of Bible booklets and arrested all in attendance,” said a Tongam resident.
Believers in prison or labor camps in North Korea are often singled out for especially harsh treatment, and may well face death. In North Korea’s songbun system citizens are classified according to their perceived loyalty to the state. Religious believers are placed in the “hostile” class and are considered enemies of the state. Christians have been executed for the “crime” of owning a Bible.
Underground churches in Tongam had been raided twice before, in 2005 and 1997, and the believers were sent to labor camps.
Tongam’s history with Christianity goes even further back. A second resident confirmed the site of a large church building that stood even after the Japanese had occupied the Korean peninsula in 1905 and made Shinto the state religion.
She added that the five captured Christians have refused to renounce their faith despite pressure from the authorities. “A staff member of the judicial agency told us that the [Christians] refused to tell where they got their Bibles and said, ‘All for Jesus, even in death.’”
Pray for our brothers and sisters arrested at this meeting. Give thanks for their faithfulness in meeting regularly and steadfastness (1 Corinthians 16:13) in captivity. Ask that the Lord will sustain them and their families whatever they face – even that He will grant them release. Pray for wisdom, discernment and courage for all North Korean Christians as they meet secretly for worship. Extend prayers to all believers detained in the country for their faith and ask that they will have a deep assurance of coming forth as gold after their suffering (Job 23:10).
Nigeria – Islamist Militants Release 16 Worshippers Weeks After Kaduna State Raid; Attacks on Christian Communities in Plateau State Leave 21 Dead
The traumatic ordeal of around 40 worshippers kidnapped from a church in Kaduna State was ended with the release of the remaining 16 captives on Sunday, June 4.
Islamist militants had abducted Christians attending a service in Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) on Sunday May 7. Other Christians in the group had either escaped or been freed in the weeks following the abductions. Pastor John Joseph Hayab, head of the Kaduna branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, thanked the Muslim community in the area for their practical help following the kidnappings.
Sadly, the continual anti-Christian violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt shows no sign of ceasing. In neighboring Plateau State, suspected Fulani militants killed 21 people – including a pastor, Nichodemus Kim – in attacks on Christian communities on the evening of Sunday, June 11. Twenty died in simultaneous raids on various villages in Riyom LGA, while Pastor Kim was shot dead at his home in nearby Barkin Ladi LGA at around 8pm that night.
Residents expressed concern that security forces had not intervened even though the communities in Riyom LGA had experienced several attacks in the preceding two weeks. Hundreds of Christians have been killed in northern and Middle Belt Nigeria this year.
Praise the Lord for answered prayers that the remaining captives have been freed. Give thanks for the help of local Muslims and join Pastor Hayab in praying that “the two religious communities will work together to bring this painful era of kidnapping, violence and killings to an end”. Pray that Christians who lost loved ones will draw strength from the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) and experience growing trust in Him even amid their pain, knowing He will never forsake those who belong to Him (Psalm 9:9-10). Ask that the authorities will prioritize security in the region and provide protection for the vulnerable communities.
Burkina Faso – Australian Missionary Doctor Freed After Seven Years’ Captivity
Seven years of prayer have been answered with the announcement in May of the release of Dr Ken Elliott from captivity.
The Australian missionary doctor, now 88 years old, had been held by Al Qaeda-linked militants in Burkina Faso since January 2016. He is reported to be in good health, and has been reunited with his wife, Jocelyn, and their children in Australia. Mrs. Elliott was abducted at the same time as her husband but released after three weeks.
The couple had lived in Burkina Faso since 1972 and ran a 120-bed clinic in the town of Djibo, where Dr. Elliott worked as a surgeon. Local people campaigned on Facebook for the doctor’s release. One post read, “Elliott is a Burkinabé [person from Burkina Faso] and a humane person... He represents the best of humanity.”
A statement from his family said, “We wish to express our thanks to God and all who have continued to pray for us.”
Join with Dr. Elliott’s family in giving thanks for his release, and pray that he will recover from his lengthy ordeal. Pray for the protection of Christians in this afflicted country where jihadi groups control at least 40% of the land. Ask that Dr. Elliott’s freedom will be a source of encouragement to Christians in Burkina Faso to remain firm in their faith (1 Peter 5:9).
Pakistan – Christian Sentenced to Death for “Blasphemy”; Two Boys Charged for Defiling the Name of Muhammad; Illiterate Christian Woman Granted Bail
Further “blasphemy” cases against Pakistani Christians call for resolute intercession.
On May 30 Noman Masih was sentenced to death by a court in Bahawalpur, Punjab, for alleged “blasphemy” against Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The 23-year-old was arrested in July 2019 and charged under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly showing “blasphemous” images on his phone to others. Noman’s trial was actually concluded in January, but the verdict was postponed on various pretexts.
Noman’s father Ashgar described the allegations against his son as “baseless”. Ashgar added that Noman was asleep in his bed and had been all night when police arrested him and accused him of having been in a park at 3.30am showing “blasphemous” images to a group of nine or ten other people.
“Our hearts broke today when our counsel informed us about the death verdict,” Ashgar added. “But our faith in Christ has not wavered, and we have trust that God will rescue us from this suffering.”
Meanwhile, two Christian boys have been charged with “blasphemy” in the Lahore area of Punjab. On May 18 one of the boys, Adil, 17, was chewing some gum with the brand name “Muhammad Ali”. His friend Saiman, 12, made a joke about the gum, which was overheard by a Muslim man who accused the boys of making jokes about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The Muslim man beat Saiman and threatened to kill the boys, before calling the police. Pakistan’s “blasphemy” laws stipulate death for defiling the name of Muhammad.
Prayers for a Christian woman and a Muslim man recently accused of “blasphemy” have had a significant impact. Musarrat Bibi and her colleague, Mohammad Sarmad, who work at a school in Pakpattan, Punjab, were released on bail on May 13. Despite both being illiterate, they were accused of desecrating the Quran and charged with “blasphemy” after burning waste paper that apparently contained Quranic verses in Arabic (see Prayer Focus Update, June 2023).
Pakistan’s “blasphemy” laws are often used to make false accusations, with complainants who make such accusations often enjoying impunity.
Pray that the death sentence and the case against Noman will be overturned and that he will be freed. Ask also for protection and wisdom for Noman’s lawyers as they prepare their appeal. Pray that the spurious charges against Saiman and Adil will be dismissed. Give thanks for the decision to grant bail to Musarrat and Mohammad, and ask that the charges against them will be thrown out. In all cases, ask the Lord to surround His people with a shield of protection (Psalm 5:12) and keep them from mob violence that can follow such accusations.
Egypt – Government Licenses 590 More Churches
In May and June the government issued two batches of licenses, granting approval to a further 590 churches and church-affiliated buildings. This means that 3,189 licenses have now been granted out of 3,730 applications.
Give thanks for the latest approvals and keep praying for the remaining 541 licenses to be granted. Ask for wisdom for church leaders in making best use of the buildings in the service of God’s Kingdom. Pray for protection of the buildings from extremists who oppose greater freedom for Christians.
